Required Record Keeping

Section 29 CFR 1904 of the code of federal regulations, Recording and Reporting Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, requires employers to record all work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths on the OSHA 300 or

equivalent form (specified industries, such as dental clinics, are exempt from this regulation). A summary of these events must be posted in the workplace on an annual basis. In addition, the employer must report any deaths, multiple hospitalizations, or catastrophic incidents, e.g., loss of a limb, to the local OSHA office within 8 hours. Employers with fewer than 11 employees at any given time in the year are exempt from this regulation. The recording and reporting requirements do not cover unpaid family members working on farms (9).